Australian children are happy little Vegemites
Climate change, economic crises, terrorist threats – there is no shortage of reasons to be stressed in 2015.
But it seems Australian kids have found a way to shrug off the world’s problems.
A Roy Morgan study released on Wednesday in recognition of International Youth Day has found Aussie children aged 6-13 are just as happy as they were in 2007, with the global financial crisis, approaching environmental armageddon, and ever-increasing global violence apparently all water off a duck’s back.
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Drawn from data obtained in 2014, the latest edition of the Young Australians Survey found that 95 per cent of girls and 94 per cent of boys agree with the statement, “I am happy”.
Both genders report declining concern about the environment, with 64 per cent of boys saying it was something that had them worried, compared to 71 per cent in 2007.
Then again, why should they be concerned given they don’t spend much time outdoors these days, with 41 per cent of boys saying they would rather log onto a computer game – up six per cent since 2007.
Both genders claim to be less concerned about terrorism, with girls experiencing the biggest drop since 2007 – with the proportion reporting it as a concern down eight per cent to 34 per cent.
Perhaps they feel so upbeat on account of all the music in their lives – 30 per cent of girls say they take music with them everywhere, up from 23 per cent in 2007.
Roy Morgan Research CEO Michele Levine said there were some positive outtakes from the research, particularly when it comes to vanity.
“Incidence of image-related concerns such as looking cool and having nice clothes has declined among girls and boys,” she said.
“While more than half of Aussie girls still consider having nice clothes to be important, and more than half of boys still want to look cool, these figures are substantially lower than they were in 2007, suggesting that a growing number of kids no longer see the need for this kind of external validation.”
She had mixed feelings about the study’s findings in relation to the environment and terrorism.
“Despite the media’s ongoing fixation with terrorism, fewer kids are worrying about it these days, which is great news,” she said.
“Their declining concern about the environment is a little more ambiguous: while it’s not fair for kids to have to worry about serious issues like this, one would hope they don’t forget about it altogether.”
Dr Kathy Rooney, of Sydney-based A Brighter Future Psychology Services, told The New Daily an adult client of hers who has been struggling with anxiety related to terrorism could learn a thing or two from the life outlook of children.
“Adults taking a childlike approach to the world can be helpful – there have been a lot of studies recently showing the benefits of being in the moment,” she said.
“It is all about mindfulness – noticing and observing, not making judgements or buying into preconceived ideas.”